Salt
by LRoseC
Summary: Annie and Finnick have a romantic day. Short, fluffy, and sweet.


**Well hello again! For those who've read my story about Annie and Finnick, this is just a short blurb with lots of fluff falling sometime after Finnick's games and before Annie's. It's in third person now because I'm working on a book right now that's in third and didn't want to screw up my frame of mind. Still works, though!**

**For those who haven't read the story, no matter! This should still make sense even if you don't know all the backstory on the characters.**

**May expand on it a little later, but for now, enjoy! My Valentine's gift to you, lovelies.**

**Happy reading **

"Are you nearly finished?" Finnick sighed, rolling over onto his stomach. Annie's hair was seated on the driftwood steps outside her porch with her hair tied into a messy knot, weaving an intricate net with her fingers and a crude needle. He was sprawled out on the porch floor itself, serving little to no purpose other than to pester her while she worked.

"Aren't you some sort of national champion?" she asked without taking her eyes off her work, "don't you have important things you could be doing?"

With that, Fin slid up behind her and leaned in, brushing his lips against her neck. Her hands froze as the sensation sent electricity down to her fingers and toes. "And what," he whispered, moving his mouth just below her ear, "may I ask, could be more important than _this?_" He kissed her neck again and lingered, leaving Annie with an internal war about what she should do next.

"_Fin,_" she pleaded, closing her eyes and subconsciously leaning into him, "I have to finish. That peacekeeper Garb has been on my back all day about it."

Finnick sighed and pulled away from her neck, plopping his head down on her shoulder like a bored pup. "Alright, fine." His eyes scanned her work and marveled at how even and strong her stitching was. His fingers went to touch one of the loops when it was poked with the needle Annie was wielding. "Hey!" he gasped, pulling his hand away with reproach.

"Keep your grubby little fingers away from my net," Annie answered indifferently, continuing her work as if nothing had happened.

"Grubby fingers!" Finnick gasped, "well I _never…."_

"Oh stop it," Annie laughed, shrugging her shoulder where his chin was resting. "Why don't you tell me a story if you're so bored?"

Fin bit his lip and then smiled, nodding his head. "Alright, I will," he answered with a hint of mischief. "How about a poem?"

Annie groaned but she was smiling in spite of herself. One of Finnick's favorite games was to improvise poems for her on the spot, and they were usually quite terrible.

"_There once was a girl named Annie!" _Fin declared, sitting up and stretching his arms out wide, "_She was so beautiful, it was uncanny!"_

"Oh for heaven's sake—"

"_Her hair was brown, her face had freckles._

_Graceful neck, she had no unsightly…speckles…"_

Finnick frowned and bit his lip as the rhyme and rhythm of his poem crumbled. "Shake it off, keep going," Annie encouraged him, "I want to hear about my speckles some more."

Fin cleared his throat and flourished his hands;

"_Her voice was as lovely as a bird,_

"_The sweetest song Four's ever heard._

"_And one day out on the beach,_

"_A boy realized she was quite a peach…" _he paused and looked down at the top of her head, "Sorry."

"_Why he didn't see it before,_

"_The stupid boy can never be sure._

"_How did he miss such _decadent_ beauty?_

"_The thought of such ignorance made him moody." _Annie groaned but he ignored her.

"_Was he so vain that he could not see,_

"_What he wanted until there was jealousy?_

"_His lovely friend in a scrappy white dress,_

"_Without her he would be a mess._

"_When they were young they had barely spoken,_

"_But when hope failed she gave him a token._

"_And while he fought so hard to survive,_

"_She reminded him how to be alive."_

"_And ever since that fateful day,_

"_He knew that his heart would always stay,_

"_On that beach coated in small white shells,_

"_Where he realized, that maybe, she loved him as well."_

Finnick looked down at Annie to see if she liked it. Her head tilted back and the light caught her green eyes as she beamed up at him. "One of your worst," she said with a grin. He smiled back at her and leaned down, kissing her gently on the lips.

"Your turn," he said with a small smirk. She drew back a bit and frowned at him.

"What?"

"You heard me," Fin continued, sitting back. "It's your turn." He struck a provocative pose and caressed the side of his face with his hand. "_Ravish_ me with your words."

Annie bit her lip and turned around, resuming her work on the net. "Very well, you asked for it," she said in a warning voice.

"_There once was a boy named Finnick Odair,_

"_He had bronzy skin and messy hair. _

"_His smile made him Four's little gem,_

"_But one day he was taken away from them._

"_When the world decided he couldn't give in,_

"_They sent him a gift to ensure that he'd win._

"_And in a whirl the games did end,_

"_And the Capitol sent Golden boy home to his friend._

"_His friend, a girl, too angry to care,_

"_How much she really needed him there._

"_The two had barely ever spoken,_

"_But still she knew that he was broken._

"_But the boy was as strong as the ocean,_

"_And set the meek girl's world in motion._

"_And while he built himself up from the ground,_

"_Her chaotic world became sound. _

"_While the world went to tear him apart,_

"_For some reason he gave her his heart._

"_And while he captured the love of a nation,_

"_But at home he became one girl's foundation._

She smiled and threaded the needle through another loop.

"Now _she's defeated the boy a thousand times,_

"_He duels her in poems, but she's better at rhymes."_

Finnick laughed behind her and she joined him, pausing her relentless needlework. "You're a villain," he said, a touch of indignant, "How do you just come up with rhyming words so easily?"

She shrugged and tilted her head back to look at him. "Maybe it'll come in handy someday."

"Maybe," he answered, the sun catching his eyes. She studied him a moment and then put her work down before turning to face him entirely. "Okay fine," she said softly, "We can go. _For an hour._ Then you have to go home so I can finish this in time."

Finnick cheered and took her hand, pulling her up as he sprinted down the street. "Slow down!" she cried out, but she was laughing so he ignored her. They made it to the beach in record time, their breath coming in heavy spurts as they continued to run. Without warning, Finnick pivoted and flung Annie over his shoulder. She gasped and clung to him awkwardly as he ran straight for the water.

"No Fin!" she squealed, hearing his feet pound on the wood of a dock. "Put me down!"

"Never!" he cried before winging them both into the air. Annie screamed in shock as she plunged into the cold water, doing a full cartwheel before breaching the surface.

"You dunce," she laughed, splashing him as soon as his head popped over the waves. He hollered as he wiped the saltwater from his eyes, a gleaming smile stretched fully across his face.

"You alright?" he asked when he was finally able to see. She smiled and closed the distance between them, their legs brushing in the weightless water. It was deep enough there that Annie could feel her toes brushing the top of seaweed.

"I'm fine," she said, placing a hand on Fin's back so that they could be closer yet. His eyes sparked with interest and one of his hands tangled into her hair that was floating underwater. They stared at one another with their faces just an inch apart, neither of them willing to break their eye contact. And then the corners of Fin's lips turned up and his cheeks dimpled before he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. They ignored the small waves that lapped over them, even when it submerged their lips. The salt was invigorating anyway.

When they broke apart, Fin leaned so he was floating on this back, pulling on Annie's hand to join him. The sky above them was just starting to turn pink at the corners. Annie flexed her toes and sighed, letting the water rock them back and forth. "I wish it could always be this way," she said in a soft voice. Fin grunted in agreement and kissed her wet hand.

"It would get boring after a while, I'm sure," he said with a small smile.

She didn't answer with anything but a content smile, and with their hands locked they floated like that for some time. The tide was becoming stronger so they eventually climbed back onto the dock and wrung out their dripping clothes before holding hands again.

"You're leaving in two days again, right?" she asked lightly as they made their way down the beach. Finnick grunted and nodded his head. "I'll be gone for a week."

Annie nodded and pulled him down to the sand where they could watch the sunset together. "I'll sign up for a fishing vessel for that time then," she said, "I'm due to assist a fishing trip anyway."

"Be safe," was all he said. Finnick let himself fall back into the sand and let out a breath of air. Annie slid so that half her body rested on top of his check, her chin resting on his collarbone.

"You're going to be alright," she told him, "It's only a week."

"It's only a week," he repeated with a small smile. He tucked one arm under his head and the other he folded over Annie's back. The water dripped from her dress and ran down the side of his torso and into the sand. They stared at each other for a while before she stretched up and kissed him lightly.

"I love you, you know," she said softly.

"I love you too," he responded, his dimples deepening with his growing smile. "Even if you do beat me at poems."

Annie scoffed and relaxed back into her original position, this time letting the side of her face rest against his exposed chest. His skin was warm and smooth underneath her, and subconsciously she caressed it was her fingertips. He smelled good, almost sweet, even with the ocean coating him with salt. She inhaled and exhaled as the last of the sun warmed her back. She felt so at peace, as if the world couldn't touch her. The only sight was the white grains of sand that were drying to his skin just in front of her nose. The only smell was salt and honey. The only sounds were the wind passing in and out of Finnick's lungs like the tide, and the sound of his heart pounding with steady determination underneath her. She closed her eyes and focused on that sound, the one that mattered most to her in the entire world. That steady cadence of drums, the rhythmic life coursing through him. Keeping him alive. Keeping her alive.

_Thud thud thud thud thud._


End file.
